The mass exodus has been connected with her time as superintendent in local conversations and in local media over the months of her unexplained absence, during which teachers themselves spoke out during public meetings. Her leave of absence also comes at a time of turmoil in the district. Plunkett Cooney, a Detroit law firm, defends Ms. Ahmed and the district. Something must not be going right. Posted: Saturday 06.04.2022 9:07 pm Revised: Friday 06.10.2022 9:07 pm Councilmembers and the mayor want a raise. She received the highest possible performance rating from evaluations since she became superintendent in 2019, something the lawsuit points out. HPS teachers held week-long protest over superintendents return, Once again, the city has to face financial issues. This website provides the option to use Google translate; HPS cannot assure accuracy of the translation. Decided December 22, 1986. Hamtramck schools embrace community initiatives, gear for Census count . .page .article .comments .fb-comments span, The former superintendent of Hamtramck Public Schools is suing the school district, five members of its school board and its teacher's union, alleging a conspiracy to oust her, defamation and. }. We're really reaching out to the community to . Hamtramck Superintendent Hasn't Worked In Four Months But Is Still That focus is also the primary reason I was able to identify that I needed additional support at this time. Hamtramck Federation of Teachers President Toni Coral says she wishes Ahmed well, but there is a lot of work to do in the district. All rights reserved. margin: 0 -8px !important; Come get answers to your questions about the flu and COVID-19. Comments (-1) Print Edition max-width: none !important; A. ) Toni Coral, the president of the teachers union, characterized the working conditions in the district as chaotic a description that was repeated over and over. Earlier this year, dozens of Hamtramck teachers protested outside the districts administrative building during contract negotiations, detailing strained conditions at the school during Ahmeds tenure. Interim Superintendent of Hamtramck Public Schools sits down for an 2). March 3rd, 3pm-4:30pm, Hamtramck High School Auditorium Free food and drinks! Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). Employees shall not discuss the employment circumstances of Superintendent Ahmed with anyone unless cleared by Lynem or Nagi. Her announcement was made public on the HPS Facebook page on Tuesday. In the last several months, there have been mass resignations by veteran teachers and staff members. Hamtramck Public Schools (@hamtramckpublicschools) Instagram photos and videos. Ahmed defended those involuntary transfers, citing the need to meet federal guidelines to serve an influx of autistic students with special needs who needed specialized teachers. According to district records, Ahmed has been collecting regular paychecks the entire time she has been off the job. Nagi Takes Full Interim Superintendent Responsibilities Im looking forward to working with [the acting superintendents] on some of the initiatives that had stalled over the last couple of weeks I hope those initiatives can begin to get us out of this crisis, Coral says. The board has not said whether Imbrunone remains on leave, or is still with the district. display: block !important; David Melkus for the plaintiff. 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper. Thank you for your understanding and compassion, it is my honor and privilege to serve. In an interview, Interim Superintendent Nabil Nagi spoke . HAMTRAMCK Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed, who has been on leave since last October, has filed a lawsuit accusing five board members and the teachers union of conspiring to get her fired. This website provides the option to use Google translate; HPS cannot assure accuracy of the translation. HPS does not control the content or relevancy of these pages. Ahmed and the school district are being represented by Michael D. Weaver of the Plunkett Cooney law firm. Having our students return to learning in our schools these past two months has been wonderful both for our students and our faculty and staff members. Enroll Today Meals & Nutrition Transportation Home Our District Superintendent Home Meet the Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed Superintendent of Schools Phone: 313.591.7413 Fax: 313.432.8409 Thus, our focus remains on providing our children with a learning environment that supports their academic, social, and emotional growth," Nabil said in a statement. School district fell short retaining them. Your email address will not be published. Ahmeds evaluations for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years were highly effective, the highest possible rating, the suitalleges. Join us for an Open Forum! Hamtramcks acting superintendent Nabil Nagi did not respond to an email seeking comment on Ahmeds status. Renowned Chef Anthony Bourdain at Polonia. The alleged conspiracy andthe stress suffered during the COVID-19 pandemiccaused Ahmed to experience severe emotional distress, the suit alleges, and forced her to take a three-monthmedical leave that beganOct. 10. Menhem Aouad. Jaleelah Ahmed, Superintendent of Hamtramck Public Schools, Hamtramck, Michigan. Relations between the district and Ahmed werent always sour. | 08 Nov 2022 By The Yemeni American News The topic of banning explicit books in school districts has now made its way to Hamtramck. In a letter to the Hamtramck community posted on Facebook this week by Hamtramck Public Schools, Ahmed announced she was stepping away. Her announcement was made public on the HPS Facebook page on Tuesday. The former superintendent of Hamtramck Public Schools is suing the school district, five members of its school board andits teacher's union, alleging a conspiracy to oust her,defamation and violations offederal discrimination laws. Jaleelah Ahmed, Superintendent of Hamtramck Public Schools Donate A mass exodus of teachers from the school district took place under Ahmeds term last year. Hamtramck Public Schools - Wikipedia Ahmed alleges the board membersappeared at her office individually and in groups to demand the dismissal of a human resources director and other employees. HPS does not control the content or relevancy of these pages. They are being sued by former school district employee Christina Adamczyk. File photo, By Charles Sercombe News, analysis and scores on Detroit and Michigan sports teams. This year, Niczay was rehired by the district as a consultant, performing some of Ahmeds prior duties. Hamtramck Public Schools will be led by two administrators while its superintendent is on a temporary leave of absence. "At Hamtramck Public Schools, we are committed to providing high-quality education services that our families deserve. Aiyash, who was not re-elected among fellow board members as president of the board, has not attended a board meeting since January, the Review said. Hamtramck School District Of The City Of, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 854 school districts in Michigan (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2020-2021 school year. The board has two other members, DazShavon Hall and Jihan Aiyash, who were not named in the lawsuit. She pointed to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic as the reason she needs to focus on her physical and mental health right now. Ahmed has been receiving pay during her absence, as she is still under contract with the district, which has not officially terminated that contract. Jaleelah Ahmed and the school district are defendants in a federal whistleblower lawsuit by Christina Adamczyk filed by attorney Gary Miotke that pends in federal court. At a recent school board committee meeting, board Vice President Showkat Chowdhury asked when the district would begin a search for a new superintendent. width: auto !important; This web page contains links to one or more pages that are outside the HPS network. Your commitment to their success has been a driving force for me and the HPS faculty and staff throughout the challenges we have seen these past 18 months. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Donate | Contact Us, Michigan senator rakes in donations from energy companies, blasts them on Twitter, On House Bill 4001, Michigan Senate Republicans deny immediate effect, preserve tax cut, Why a Michigan paraprofessional left his union, Feds give Michigan $110M to install 127 EV chargers. I must prioritize and address my own physical, mental health and well- Photo: Hassan Abbas/The Arab American News, Later on, several teachers spoke up, complaining of a poor work environment in the district set up by Ahmed and Imbrunone, with the teachers union describing the environment as chaotic.. Another teacher said that there was no confidence in the leadership, and that the district was not prepared to start up the new school year with in-classroom teaching. HPS is committed to ensuring that our educational materials and websites are accessible, equitable, and usable to everyone. 2023 Mackinac Center for Public Policy Hamtramck School Dist. 1/ Day for Students & Staff (HOZ - Final Exams), No School for Students & Staff, Spring Break, HAMTRAMCK PUBLIC SCHOOLS3201 Roosevelt StreetHamtramck, MI 48212SUPERINTENDENTJaleelah AhmedPhone: 313.591.7400Fax: 313.284.6094Office Hours: 8:00am - 4:00pm. Audit Reports 2017-2018. . After questions from residents and local media, the board said it had extended her leave, but did not explain why. Accessibility is a core component of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and it is referenced throughout the UDL Guidelines. This website provides the option to use Google translate; HPS cannot assure accuracy of the translation. Section 1.3: Audit. Ahmed was appointed as superintendent about two years ago, replacing longtime superintendent Tom Niczay, who retired. The district, including interim Superintendent Nabil Nagi, has been extremely tight-lipped on the circumstances surrounding Ahmeds leave of absence. Ahmed announced her leave of absence last week on the districts Facebook page. About Bridge Academy East. Bridge Academy West West (6-8th) 3105 Carpenter Ave. Hamtramck Six Hamtramck schools employees are suing the interim superintendent and district, alleging the interim leader has discriminated against them, retaliated when they filed. It also said it was running an investigation on the matter, but has not given any details on that investigation. | MICHIGAN EDUCATION DIGEST January 20, 2004 - Mackinac Center Originally meant to be split between Nagi and Sherry Lynem, the Interim Superintendent position will now be completely filled by Nagi. The energy and passion they bring every day continues to make a world of difference and will play a huge role in helping accelerate their learning as we continue to address the effects of COVID learning loss. The Hamtramck Review said this week that trouble began with several job transfers of teachers, some involuntary, which resulted in backlash from some board members about former Human Resources Director Michelle Imbrunone, who was hired by Ahmed. Terms of Use | Online Privacy Policy. The district will continue to address and support emotional well-being and mental health for those in our entire school community as that has been an element of critical focus. Pre-K and Kindergarten Round Up Flyer. A clue has emerged as to why Hamtramck Public Schools District Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed remains on leave. There was a lot of teachers who were kind of dissatisfied with Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmeds leadership, Albaugh says. Mobile app for news, photos and video on the go. Thats a significant loss to a system with only around 200 teachers and like many districts already dealing with a shortage of teachers. Breaking news HPS superintendent takes a leave of absence Ahmed is claiming the board members violated her contractual right to manage Hamtramck Schools administrative personnel decisions by demanding teachers union members be promoted to administrative positions. Hamtramck Public Schools posted a letter from Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed, in which she explained that the leave is for her own personal well-being during the pandemic. We have seen the impact of the pandemic, not only on the physical well-being of our students, families, teachers, and staff, but also on the social and emotional health of our community. Major, a school board trustee, said on Tuesday the board has not had an opportunity to meet to discuss the allegations inthe lawsuit. Come get answers to your questions about the flu and COVID-19. She declined further comment. The Hamtramck Public Schools are operating with a surplus (thanks to Thomas Niczay's, former Superintendent, diligence in budget and cost control) and will be able to continue operations if they do not pass their bond. The City will go bankrupt or lose the vital protection of our First Responders if they do not pass their millage request. HPS does not control the content or relevancy of these pages. Superintendent Jaleelah Hassan Ahmed cites the impact of the coronavirus pandemic as the reason behind her decision to take a temporary leave of absence. Felix Chow - Superintendent - Hamtramck Public Schools | ZoomInfo Toast of the Town A Paczki Day diary: Brrrrr who invited winter to the party? Pro-Israel, pro-corporate outside funds thrown at campaign opposing Talib in 12th District primary, Maker of Pillsbury products divests from Israel, after multi-year boycott campaign. She told the school board that she will be on leave until Jan. 10. Her contract ran through June 30, 2024. chaotic whats chaotic? Election - Hamtramck Public Schools Bond Vote NO According to a letter the district sent to Ahmed on Oct. 14, 2021, she was also barred from taking any actions as a school official. She was expected to return in January, but did not, with no explanation from the district. The decision, to temporarily step aside, was not entered into lightly. Hamtramck Public Schools ( HPS) is a public school district based in the city of Hamtramck, Michigan ( USA) in Greater Detroit . 775 likes. The lawsuit is seeking to prevent the board from continually extending Ahmeds leave and stop her from returning to work. That lawsuit has been pending for about one year and Ms. Adamczyk is represented by Gary Miotke as her attorney if that name sounds familiar it is because he represented former HPD officer Dennis Whitty in two employment suits against the City of Hamtramck which settled for several hundred thousand dollars. An email apparently circulated among Hamtramck Public Schools employees ordered them to not contact Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed, who is now on a leave of absence. Hamtramck Public Schools haven't had a permanent leader since mid-October, when Superintendent Jaleelah Hassan Ahmed announced "a temporary leave of absence to address my own personal. This was covered in several local media outlets, with a remarkable number of teachers leaving in a short period, and the fact that it reflected national trends of teachers finding better work environments. Ahmed notified district officials on Oct. 11, 2021, that she would stop performing her duties as superintendent until Jan. 10, 2022. News, views and interviews from the Arab world and the Arab American community. Budget/Transparency Reporting and Title IX, Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Department. We strive to follow best practices based on federal requirements outlined in Section 508the "Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards," authorized by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Boardas well as recommendations of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Superintendent of Hamtramck Public Schools discusses challenges for upcoming school year Dr. Jaleelah Ahmed, superintendent of Hamtramck Public Schools and a member of the K-12 Alliance, said schools have tough decisions to make without direct orders from the state or county hea.. View article WXYZ Detroit "I would say on the surface that,not speaking for the board, I would hope anyone reading or seeing of these types of allegations would be able to look at the history andthe diligence the board has shown inthe pastfor listening to our community and trying to build thebest school system we can for families.". 1/ Day for Students & Staff (HOZ - Final Exams), No School for Students & Staff, Spring Break, HAMTRAMCK PUBLIC SCHOOLS3201 Roosevelt StreetHamtramck, MI 48212SUPERINTENDENTJaleelah AhmedPhone: 313.591.7400Fax: 313.284.6094Office Hours: 8:00am - 4:00pm. By Charles Sercombe In 2016, Ahmed was hired to serve as the district'sEnglish language development director. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today. In an unexpected move, Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed has taken a leave of absence. Director of Student Services. width: 100% !important; In September 2020, the district experienced aninflux of autistic students, the suit alleges, promptingAhmed to direct the involuntarytransfer of twoteachers from their former assignments so the autistic students would have teachers who were properly certified under federal and Michigan law. Jaleelah AhmedSuperintendent of SchoolsPhone: 313.591.7413Fax: 313.432.8409. Sascha Raiyn is Education Reporter at 101.9 WDET. We strive to follow best practices based on federal requirements outlined in Section 508the "Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards," authorized by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Boardas well as recommendations of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). |. Posted Feb. 11, 2022. Definition of Terms 2020-2021 School . 115 Construction Superintendent Jobs in Hamtramck, MI - Zippia .page .article .comments .fb-comments { Join to view profile Hamtramck School District . Hamtramck Public School District / Homepage Some teachers and administrators said transfers made no sense and felt punitive against those who had raised concerns over work conditions during the pandemic. In her letter, Ahmed said that she is taking a break from her position to prioritize and address my own physical, mental health and well-being. Hamtramck Public School District / Homepage Accessibility is a core component of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and it is referenced throughout the UDL Guidelines. Please consider a gift today to help shine a light on government through independent journalism. At last weeks board meeting, several teachers spoke out about what it has been like with Ahmed as superintendent Sherry Lynem, the districts chief financial officer, and Nabil Nagi, the director of English Language Development, will share responsibilities as acting superintendents. We offer Arabic education, after school programs, tutoring, and more! According to district payroll records, Ahmed was still collecting paychecks as of Feb. 18, 2022. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. Also on the boards agenda were the hirings of nine new teachers and staff employees, including one for the filling of the high schools vacant principal position. Hamtramck Public Schools (@hamtramckpublicschools) Instagram photos and videos. Support staffs seem to be quitting as well. In the last year, over 20 teachers and administrators opted to resign and take jobs with other districts in protest of the management decisions. Toni Coral, president of theHamtramck Federation of Teachers, said Thursday the lawsuit had been sent to attorneys to review. Pre-K and Kindergarten Round Up March 15, 2023 1p-3p. Unlimited access to subscriber only articles on desktop, tablet and mobile web. Does anyone know whats going on in Hamtramck public schools? First Yemeni-American Superintendent of Schools in the United States Detroit Metropolitan Area. Teachers speak out on schools superintendent | Hamtramck Review UPDATE: Detroit district's pause on in-person learning now extended Councilmembers and the mayor want a raise. Did anyone press those teachers for more details? How to pronounce Hamtramck | HowToPronounce.com The Review obtained a copy of the district email directing employees not to contact Ahmed. Abdul Hussain, a parent, said that for two years we found unity. Jaleelah Ahmed filed a 38-page lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Detroit on May 23, alleging five of the seven school board members,Evan Major, Salah Hadwan, Moortadha Obaid, Showkat Chowdhury andRegan Watson and theHamtramck Federation Teachers conspiredto terminate her employment over teacher transfer complaints and other matters. District employees shall not communicate with Superintendent Ahmed concerning any district business, district matter, district student or district subject of any kind until further notice. Newsletters on topics that interest you most. Hamtramck Public Schools Jul 2019 - Present 3 years 8 months. March 3rd, 3pm-4:30pm, Hamtramck High School Auditorium Free food and drinks! Jaleelah Ahmad and the Hamtramck School District are still currently embroiled in a Federal Civil Rights Act lawsuit the are defending in U.S. District Court in Detroit pending before Judge Stephen Murphy III. The purpose of my page is to explore educational topics and share progress about my journey as the. Do they deserve it? A lot of the teachers have left HPS. It is strange that people quitting after school year started. Section 4: Benefits and Salary of Superintendent and employees greater than $100,000. Recently, the board voted not to renew Imbrunones contract with the district. About The board met last Wednesday and accepted her request for a leave. Her director of human resources, Michelle Imbrunone, also took a medical leave of absence in October. Ahmed's gross pay was $176,750 in 2020-21; she was appointed superintendent in July 2019. Photo: Hassan Abbas/The Arab American News. Anyone in the loop? Sarah Filipiak, who announced her resignation last week as principal of Dickinson East Elementary School, said that, under Ahmeds leadership, the message is loud and clear: you cannot grow here. This web page contains links to one or more pages that are outside the HPS network. One teacher said that, since Ahmed became superintendent, the district has been going backwards from our best years. Ahmed also alleges school board members and the teacher's unionprovided falseinformation to local media which "ran articles impugning her professional reputation" and that false information was posted by the teachers unions on itsFacebook account impugning herprofessional reputation. It is against that backdrop that I am writing to inform you that I will be taking a temporary leave of absence to address my own personal well-being. Hamtramck School District Of The City Of - Public School Review .page .article .comments .fb-comments iframe { Your email address will not be published.